The Conference

General Introduction

2018 will officially be the sixth consecutive occasion where the International School of Lyon and the Cité Scolaire Internationale de Lyon collaborate, hand in hand, to conduct ILYMUN: an MUN based conference. During the 18th, 19th and 20th January, the event will be staged in the exalted Hôtel de Région, where a multitude of keen and bright high school pupils are thoroughly invited to take action and debate!

History

Taking inspiration from FERMUN in Geneva and THIMUN in the Hague, two students from the Cité Scolaire Internationale, Pierre Mohamed and Kaelan Tardy, reached out to students at the International School of Lyon in order to organize the first ILYMUN conference in 2013. Most of the schools participating in that first conference are regular participants in our annual conferences and many have gone on to model their MUN clubs and even their own conferences on ILYMUN. We’re delighted to see these developments as it means more communities working together to change the world.

Our Values

1. Enriching Education

We believe that the main aim of MUN conferences is to educate the participants, providing them with essential skills such as public speaking or the ability to contest and negotiate. It also opens one’s mind and introduces in-depth reflections on a complex World. ILYMUN helps us, students, grow and become global citizens. Here is a quote of our friends from INOMUN in Lille that suits perfectly to our ideals: “The aim of debating is to resolve problems with words, without violence, without deaths. We, high school students are the next generation. We have to act, we have to do something. A MUN won’t literally change things, but it is a way to sharpen our critical. mind, to make acute our intelligence in order to take over our parents’ generation. In order to bring peace.”

2. Constant Innovation

As you may have noticed, ILYMUN has matured since its inception by the virtue of original projects we develop every year. Of course, the central issue of the conference variates from a year to another, with new branches and committees created to bring diversification and improved experience. Undeniably, the criticism from you, fellow participants, permits us to improve an important number of aspects of the conference, making it finer each year!

3. Human Experience

Most of the diplomats will always tell you: “The most efficient decisions, those which actually change the world, are taken in conviviality moments after a day of debate”; this is wholly legitimate. Therefore, we keep in mind that an MUN conference is an incredible place to meet new friends. Two essential factors allow you to have real exchanges: small committees (from 20 to 100 persons) and social events: visit programs and of course, the Party!

4. By Students, For Students

Even if an adult’s board supervises our agenda, every project is elaborated by High School students who are doing their best to provide High School delegates with the best possible service.

5. Ecological Engagements

Bearing in mind the ILYMUN 2016 conference resolutions to tackle Climate Change, we are taking concrete action to save the Planet, respecting environmental values. We use a minimal amount of paper and transfer to digital as frequently as possible. We strive to be role models for a green conference.

2018 Edition

Our selected theme for this year’s 2018 ILYMUN – which will fundamentally constitute the various branches and committees during the conference – is Cities.

As Ban Ki-Moon, previous UN Secretary-General disclosed, “it is clear that transforming our world for the better means transforming our towns and cities”. Indeed, we notice a largely ‘booming’ growth in our global population. Almost 54% of the global population resides in urban areas, a startling increase from 33.5% in 1960. This rapid urbanisation is significantly impacting communities, economies, the environment and policies all over the world. Thus manifesting alerting statistics, we must take into consideration henceforth the situation, for if nothing done, we are highly probable to debacle in most critical and impending consequences. We must take immediate action to reduce negative effects and encourage sustainable urbanisation. Not only is this important for global development, but likewise for the 4 billion citizens living in urban areas around the world.

ILYMUN is a place of bonding and partnership, where students will learn to collaborate and participate in highly intriguing topics. We strongly believe that by involving youth in finding solutions and taking action, we can make a difference. Therefore, in addition to our core MUN committees, we will once again host both the Action Assembly, in which students represent cities rather than countries in order to work towards real change in their local communities and the Youth Conference for “collège” or middle school students from the Auvergne- Rhône-Alpes region. This year, we took the decision to reinstate the Historical Security Council, allowing delegates to challenge themselves as they discover how the various views of their given countries have evolved over the years.

Newly, we will also be introducing the Model International Court of Justice (ICJ), a forum that mediates conflicts between two nations by reflecting on treaties, international conventions, and international law. The ICJ will be a unique and most intriguing experience for delegates who wish to try something different to ordinary committees, particularly for those interested in pursuing a career in Law. All in all, this year we guarantee you, an exceptionally unforgettable experience!